The First Encounter
by LadyElla64
Summary: Seventeen year old Lily Evans can hide her pregnancy no longer. She and James announce their news but little do they know that the bad reactions they receive are only the first steps of the unfortunate journey leading to a first encounter with Voldemort.
1. Disastrous Dining

**Author's Note:** Gah, as soon as I wrote the note saying this wouldn't come for awhile, I instantly wanted to plan it. I was so excited about writing a new story. No fair. You all were supposed to wait. Ah, well. Happy Christmahanakwanzika.

**Dedications:** Because so many people deserve them!

Daniel Handler: For his wonderful books. They, despite their titles, bring me so much joy.

Wendy: For helping me with my flow chart. And for reading this.

Billy Grimes: For being himself. I love you!

**Chapter 1:** Disastrous Dining

(August 30. 7: 12 p.m. A veritable French diner. London.)

If you have ever been worried about something--a test, or whether you will ever be able to dig yourself out of the gigantic hole you've fallen into--you should know that anxiety is one of the worst feelings in the world. Your heart pounds, your arms shake, your palms sweat--which can make meet and greet very uncomfortable--and you contract an overall feeling of woe.

Exactly how Lily Evans felt as she sat beside her boyfriend, James Potter, on a padded bench outside of a nice French restaurant in the heart of London.

Any other time, visiting such a restaurant in such a city--in such an outfit--would be a very pleasant experience, especially because of her chosen company. But for Lily, tonight was not a night for social endeavors.

Her hand slipped to her lower abdomen which had swollen slightly, as if she'd stuck a shallow bowl under her dress, and rubbed it consolingly. James's warm hand crept into hers and they locked eyes. She gave him a shy smile.

He cleared his throat. "You nervous?"

"Just a little," she replied. "I wonder what everyone's going to say. We've hid everything from them. Our friendship, our relationship...and now this."

His gaze drifted toward the sidewalk. "I know," he said heavily. "How do you think I feel? My dad's going to wring my neck when we tell him."

"Mum's gonna shoot through the roof," said Lily with a sharp upward gesture. "'I warned you, Lily!' she'll say, 'But you've gone and made the same mistake I did!'"

"No you haven't." The corners of James's mouth twitched in amusement. "You're not having Petunia."

Lily's laugh was forced and rattled. Through the amalgam of the crowd, two figures emerged, eyes scanning the queue of people assembled outside of the diner. When they spotted Lily and James, they hurried over, smiling.

"Hey, James," greeted Sirius, clapping him on the back. "Where're your parents?"

"Not here yet," answered Lily for him.

"Will you tell us why we're here now?" asked Remus, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Is it your birthday, Lily? Your mum's? Sister's?"

"No," said Lily, "it's not anybody's birthday."

"So what's going on?" Sirius hefted an eyebrow. "You're not pregnant, are you Lily?" He chortled; it was meant to be a joke. Sirius and Remus were not even supposed to know that they were dating, let alone that they had slept together. Lily tried to calm her expression.

James nudged her. "Here come your parents."

She had a sudden impulse to dive behind James so they couldn't spot them. But instead she rose gracefully from her seat and hugged her parents in welcome.

Mr. Evans kissed his daughter's forehead. "Where are the Potters? Are they waiting inside?"

"No," said James, taking his place beside Lily, "they're on their way."

The four teenagers kept relatively quiet until the arrival of James's parents. The only time they spoke was when Sirius commented rather loudly on a young girl's attire, and when Lily muttered, after kicking him swiftly in the shin, "Try saying that a bit louder next time, you ass!"

But as they must, Doug and Ella Potter arrived, only five minutes late, to which Doug blamed rather bluntly on those "damn narrow Muggle streets."

James lead everyone inside the restaurant to claim the table they'd made reservations for. Lily's mother placed a hand on her arm to hold her back.

"What's going on?" she hissed, eyes darting around the room. "Why are we at such a nice restaurant? Still celebrating yours and James's Head Boy and Girl selections?"

"It was James's idea to come here," she explained. "His family comes here a lot. They like it. And as for what's going on, you'll find out over dinner like everyone else."

She hurried to catch up with James, leaving her mother at the back of the group with a pursed lip. Mr. Evans linked arms with her and they trailed the others to the long mahogany table. It was draped in a white silken cloth garnished with a silver candelabra at each end and a vase of lilies in the center.

In the front of the restaurant, in plain view of the passersby through the large glass window, was a string quartet playing a melodious tune that complimented the chatter and laughter of the atmosphere.

It was easily the nicest restaurant Lily had ever been to. Shame to spoil her first trip with tonight's news, she thought, smoothing her dress in the back as she slid into her chair.

Their table sat ten, but only nine of the seats would be filled; Petunia was yet to arrive, late to anything her sister asked her to attend, as usual. Sirius and Remus sat at either head of the table with Lily, James, and the Potters on one side, and the Evanses and two empty seats on the other.

Again an uncomfortable silence hung in the air as they waited for the waiter to finish with everyone's drink orders. Mr. Potter looked as if he were about to break the ice before Petunia came trudging in and plopped herself into a seat beside her mother.

"This better be quick, Lily," she snapped. "I'm meeting some friends later tonight."

"Can't they wait?" implored Mrs. Evans. "Your sister has important news for us."

Petunia latched her arms. "I'm listening."

"Well, I...." Lily felt her cheeks flush. "I wasn't ready....Not yet...."

"I'm not sitting through the whole dinner," said Petunia matter-of-factly, eyeing the wizards around her with distaste, "so you'd better get on with it."

Mr. and Mrs. Potter exchanged arched eyebrows across the table.

Lily twisted the napkin from her set-up nervously. She glanced sideways at James, eyes begging for assistance. "Go ahead, Lily," he said, voice soothing. "We don't have to wait any longer."

Under the table, she grasped his hand. They smiled at each other. Petunia slouched in her chair, staring at them strangely.

"Well, mum"--Lily chose to address her mother, it was easier to direct her speech at her than a whole group of hungry eyes--"you know how James and I have spent a lot of time together because of Prefect duties and meetings, right?"

"And how," muttered Sirius to Remus. Lily kicked his shin again.

"Yes...." said her mother.

"Last February we sort of....We...." She struggled to find words that would not render her mother comatose. "...Gave each other late Christmas presents." Their table guests stared blankly at them.

"What Lily means," James intervened, forehead beginning to perspire, "is that we've been seeing each other for few months now. In secret."

Petunia's eyes rolled heavenward. "I came all the way to London to find out what I could have read in your diary?"

Mrs. Evans gave her a stern look, but fixed a happy gaze on her younger daughter. "That's good news, Lily," she said brightly. The others murmured in agreement.

"We're not finished," she said, feeling coldness sweep through her chest. Her father, who had been in the process of reaching for his glass of brandy, froze and looked over his glasses at the two of them. She wanted to sink into the floor.

"Not finished?" her mother echoed. "What else could there be to share?" Far behind her inquisitive stare, Lily could see that her mother, too, was scared.

"Yes," agreed her father, sounding equally uneasy. "What else?"

Tough crowd, she thought sardonically. James gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"W-well," began Lily, feeling lightheaded, "by 'late Christmas present' I meant something else." She hadn't meant to stop there, but the quaver in her voice was too noticeable and she needed time to move her other hand into her lap, where its shaking could not be seen.

Mr. Evans raised his eyebrows. "What did you mean?" It was obvious that he was trying to remain calm as well.

"A-as you m-may know," said Lily, nearly wincing at her mother's expression, "not all gifts are f-found in stores...."

Petunia looked quite interested now. She sat up straight, ears open, eyebrows arched in amusement, attention focused on Lily, as if she were a very entertaining television program. Sirius and Remus also looked less miffed at being summoned to dinner; they seemed to know what was coming and sympathized with their friends. Mr. Potter closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, seemingly pondering over some problem. His wife sat still in her chair, looking not at Lily, but past her to the large glass window, still trying to take it all in. And the same horrified expression remained plastered to Mrs. Evans's face.

But the only one who voiced their thoughts was Lily's father. He rose from his seat. "So you gave him a bit of yourself, did you, Lily?" His voice raised slightly above the average table, causing several guests nearby to stop and stare. The waiter set their tray of drinks down on a nearby table, figuring now was not the best time. Lily's cheeks glowed red as ever, and her lower lip trembled involuntarily. "Is that why you brought us here? To tell us the story of how you lost your virginity? How you contracted some deadly disease?"

"I beg your pardon!" cried Mrs. Potter indignantly.

"Cynric," pleaded Mrs. Evans, placing a hand on his arm. "Please sit down. You're making a scene...."

He ignored his wife. "Well, go on!" he demanded, voice raised. "Why did you ask us to come here? Are you pregnant?"

The whole restaurant had gone silent from the quartet to the whiniest of children. They all awaited Lily's answer. Lily bowed her head and a few whispy strands of hair fell from her bun. A large tear slipped from her eye. James draped an arm around her and pulled her to his side.

"You are, aren't you?" He didn't need an answer; her guilty tears were enough. He set his hands on the table, leaning forward, and said in softer tones, "Tell me, how does it feel to have your future ruined? You had just gotten everything together, Lily. You have wonderful marks, you're a Prefect, and now the Head Girl. _Why_? Why did you go and do this?"

"Do you think we planned this?" James asked defensively, rubbing circles on her back.

"How long have you been hiding this?" he said.

"F-February," Lily sobbed.

"February?" said her mother, surprised, as if she hadn't heard the beginning of the conversation. "Why, you must be"--she paused for mental calculation--"six months along." Lily nodded; her mother stood up and craned her neck to peer at Lily's belly. "You don't look it at all. Honey, are you sick?"

Because voices had been lowered, most of the guests had gone back to their meals and conversations by now. Mrs. Potter addressed Lily's mother. "Some girls develop bellies slower than others, Daphne. There's nothing wrong with her."

Mrs. Evans nodded and returned to her seat. Everyone stayed quiet as Mr. Evans--forehead resting in his palm--worked out what he was going to do. Before they could register what had happened, he turned on his heel and marched right out of the restaurant. Mrs. Evans lingered for a few moments uncertainly before bidding her younger daughter goodbye and going after him.

"I'm out of here," announced Petunia, gathering her coat and departing, too.

Sirius stood up, followed shortly after by Remus. "Good luck, you two," he said, leaning to kiss Lily's cheek.

James nodded gratefully at him and Lily forced a smile. Remus mumbled good luck and good bye and then they were gone as well.

They looked over at James's parents to see if they were going to abandon them too. To their surprise, Mrs. Potter stood up and placed a hand on Lily's shoulder.

"You're coming home with us tonight, sweetheart."

* * *

So after being moved to a smaller table and ingesting a light meal--Lily didn't feel well enough to keep much down, and they felt rude gorging themselves in front of her--the Potters brought Lily home with them, as promised. 

She was allowed to share James's bed because, as James's mother had so colorfully put it to her husband, "She's already knocked up, what more could they do?" She also argued that, "The poor scared girl could use some comforting."

Just as she was settling down to go to sleep, Mrs. Potter pulled her aside to ask for a chat. At first she was worried that she was going to be told off, but after she assured her that she was not angry with her, Lily felt much more at ease and agreed instantly.

Lily lingered in James's room to say good night before going downstairs. He drew her to him, wrapping his arms tightly around her and kissed her forehead.

"Don't be nervous. Mum's not mad."

"I feel like a slut," she blurted, sniffling against the fabric of his shirt. He pulled back and looked her in the eyes.

"You are not," he said, brushing a lock of hair from her cheek. "You're a beautiful, intelligent mother-to-be." He kissed her and bent down to kiss her growing belly. "And I love you."

She gave him the first genuine smile she'd shown that night. "I love you too."

He hugged her one last time. On her way out, he swatted her butt. "Good luck." He grinned.

She stuck her tongue out at him.

* * *

The cold tiles in the hallway sent shivers through her as she scuttled through the house. She was very grateful to reach the carpeted living room, and even more grateful for Mrs. Potter's offer of tea. His mother turned on the kettle and rummaged through the pantry for the tea bags and Lily slid onto a stool at the breakfast bar. 

"Have you been eating well lately?" asked Mrs. Potter, glancing over her shoulder. "No junk food? No alcohol?"

"I don't drink." Lily felt somewhat offended.

"Good," she replied. "And the snacks?"

"I've been eating a lot better lately," Lily assured her. "I've also done some exercising."

"Not too strenuous, I hope?" she said, concerned, walking back to the stove with the box of Lipton.

"No." The older woman nodded.

The hiss and bubbling of the kettle were the only noises in the kitchen until the water boiled. Taking two identical mugs from the cabinet, Mrs. Potter poured them a cup each and they moved into the living room. Lily seated herself on the gray, overstuffed couch, tucking her legs beneath her, and Mrs. Potter snuggled herself into an armchair across from her.

She took a long draft of her tea and placed the mug on the coffee table. She drew back and surveyed the young girl sipping timidly at her drink.

"Don't be too angry with your father," she said finally. Lily looked over at her. "He's just as scared as you are. And worried for you."

Lily looked uninterested. She swirled the tea bag by its string. "Yeah. Nothing says 'I care about you' like a scene in a French restaurant."

"It _was_ quite a shock...."

"He didn't have to act like that," said Lily roughly. Another minute's pause. "Do you hate me?"

"Hate you?" she parroted. "Why on earth would I hate you?"

Lily's hand moved to her stomach. "Because of the baby." She looked back at her with watery eyes.

Mrs. Potter walked around the table and sat beside her, enveloping her in a hug. She rubbed her back. "I don't hate you at all," she whispered. Letting go of her, she added, "I always wanted for James and you to date. You're such a nice girl." Lily smiled. "He would come home every summer and talk about how he asked you to Hogsmeade, how he made you smile during breakfast, how he showed you his artwork...."

"It was very good," Lily said.

"And do you know what he did last Christmas break?" Lily shook her head. "He told me that you finally accepted his offer to go to Hogsmeade--perhaps the start of a relationship, but he said no more about it, so I figured it'd went badly--and he cried. He was so happy."

Lily smiled, tears welling up in her eyes. "He did?"

Mrs. Potter nodded. "He loves you very much."

She smiled wider and tears fell from her eyes. "I know he does. He tells me every day. He's such a proud father, too."

"Just like his dad was."

"Were you scared when you were pregnant with James?" Lily asked earnestly. "I'm worried that something's going to go wrong."

"You just have first-time jitters," said Mrs. Potter, shrugging it off. "I had the same worry. Believe me, love, more often than not, you're worrying about nothing."

Lily wrung her hands nervously. "I sure hope so."

With a glance to the clock above the mantelpiece, Mrs. Potter said, "It's getting late. You best get up to bed. You'll need all the rest you can get before you have your baby and you're up all night."

"Oh, joy," she remarked from the bottom stair. "Good night, Mrs. Potter."

"Good night, dear."

Anxious to get off of the freezing tiles, Lily took the stairs two at a time.

O O O

Okay, I believe I've found a way to situate my chapters; three periods for a new scene, and three capital Os for the ending!

Take that, document manager! May you erase my colons no longer!

Since you've taken the time to read this, please review!

Megan


	2. Miserable Morning

Author's Note: Crap. Crap, crap, crap. I made a mistake in the date. I'm going to go back and fix it ASAP. The bit about August is staying the same, but January is not the month the baby was conceived in. February. I was one month behind.

They're still in school, by the way. If one reviewer wanted to know, I'm sure others do too. They're about to enter their seventh year.

Alsoa friend of mine mentioned this to me last night, and I figure I might as well give you a fair warning. She commented on how having the baby conceived in January would throw off his birthday; July 31.

But this is **NOT** Harry! If you have some sort of problem with this, I advise you to press Alt F4. (But for those of you interested, don't try it unless you know how to get back here!)

I'm not going to tell you what happens to this baby--at least not yet--or whether this story is AU or canon. You'll find out the answers in due time.

Dedications: They're just so wonderful to give!

Erika (Ricky): Since she's going to have to suffer through even more torture of not knowing the end until it comes, I figured I'd give her a dedication.

Brody: Because he felt left out.

Will: Because once he sees Brody got a dedication, he'll want one.

Chapter 2: Miserable Morning

(August 31. 8: 32 a.m. Evans Residence. Surrey.)

Mr. Evans came stomping noisily down the staircase the next morning, still feeling the effects of last night's event. Daphne greeted him at the breakfast table with a muttered, "'Morning," over the rim of her mug. He grunted in reply, pulling the seat from the table rather harshly and sitting down. He took the plate his wife offered him and glared at the envelope tucked to the side of his toast.

"What's this?"

"Letter from the Potters," she answered. "They want us to come over to see Lily."

"So she went home with them, did she?" he muttered, giving the parchment a look over. "I can't believe they're okay with this."

Mrs. Evans set her mug down sharply, sloshing some of the coffee onto the morning paper. "What were they supposed to do, Cynric?" she snapped. "Take her to an abortion clinic? Is that what you want?"

He was taken aback by her outburst. "No, but--"

"I can't believe what you said to her last night!" she continued on, not bothering to lower her voice. "'How does it feel to have your future ruined?' What kind of message are you sending to her? That we think _she_ was a mistake?"

"No, Daphne, I--"

"That's _exactly_ what my mother said to me when _I_ got pregnant! 'You've gone and ruined your future!' Can't you be supportive?" she demanded, exasperated. "I thought _you_, of all people...." She collapsed into her chair, and cradled her face in her hands, massaging her temples.

Feeling guilty, Cynric crossed the table and knelt down beside her, tilting her head up by her chin. "Why are you so upset?"

She wiped her eyes. "Because I know how she felt to have her father reject her! Didn't you feel bad at all? Watching her sob in the middle of a restaurant?"

"Of course I did," he snapped. "But I couldn't just pretend that everything was okay....I had to say something."

"You didn't have to yell at her!" Her voice was muffled by her palms.

He urged her into his arms and she obliged, slipping from her seat to his lap. His hand stroked her hair comfortingly and he kissed the top of her head.

"I just don't want to lose our daughter," she sobbed, nuzzling into his robe.

"It'll be okay," he whispered. "We'll go over there and see her. I'll apologize. Everything's going to be alright."

* * *

CREEK.

James cringed, frozen in place. He had been trying to go downstairs without waking Lily, but obviously the floorboards had other plans. Glancing over his shoulder, he could see Lily stirring in bed, stretching and making murmured waking-up noises. He crept back to his messy spot beside her and kissed her in greeting. Lifting her head from the pillow, she searched the room.

"What was that noise?" she muttered, half-asleep. "My head's already killing me."

"It was just the floorboard," he whispered. "I tried not to wake you." She turned over, mumbling something that sounded like, "Don't worry about it."

He glanced nervously at her belly. "Are you sure you should be laying on your stomach?"

"'S fine." It was obvious that she wanted to go back to sleep.

"Would you like me to get you anything? Eggs? Toast? A muffin?" he offered, rising to depart.

"Not now," she replied. "I just want to sleep. Hopefully my headache will be gone when I wake up."

He nodded. "Okay. I'll be downstairs if you need me."

She pulled the covers up over her head. "Love you," came her voice from inside.

"I love you too."

* * *

"'Morning, James," came Sirius's greeting, mouth full of eggs. He sat at the breakfast bar where Lily had just the night before and Mrs. Potter was again positioned in front of the stove, preparing breakfast. James took the adjacent seat, swiveling to face him.

"How's Lily?" he asked, setting down his strip of bacon. "She get to sleep alright last night?"

James nodded. "She's fine. Just really angry with her dad." At the stove, Mrs. Potter chewed her bottom lip, simultaneously flipping a sausage patty.

"He _was_ a bit of an ass," Sirius agreed, downing the strip in one bite. "He told the whole bloody restaurant you'd slept together!"

Mrs. Potter gave him a sour look. "_Alright_, Sirius." She scooped a few patties onto James's plate and she dumped the pan into the sink. "Tell me when Lily wakes up," she said to her son, "I want to make her something special. To make sure she's eating well."

James nodded, rolling his eyes inwardly. _Mothers_. She seemed satisfied enough, however, and left the kitchen.

"How'd Moony take it?" asked James once she was out of earshot. "He stay with you last night?"

"Nah," replied Sirius. "Full moon's tomorrow. He's making preparations." James mumbled 'oh.' "He wasn't too shocked at Lily's news, though. He said it looked like she'd been gaining weight. Said it was suspicious. Plus, you two _have_ been spending a lot of time together."

James snorted through his eggs. "Don't you dare tell Lily he said that. She'll take it too harshly. She's been very sensitive lately; I've been trying to be as nice as I can to her."

"Good man," said Sirius approvingly, "you wouldn't want to upset a pregnant girl."

James's eyes wandered to the floor. "Any more than her father already has."

Sirius sobered. "They'll make up. It'll just take a bit of time."

James looked up at him. "Sirius, she was sobbing in my arms last night saying that she never wanted to speak to him again. I doubt there's going to be a reconciliation."

"He'll want to see the baby, you know," said Sirius, cramming a bit of toast into his mouth. "When it's born. I'm sure they'll patch it up."

"Lily said she's not letting him see it," informed James. "And who am I to stop her? I didn't particularly like the way he handled the situation either."

After chewing thoughtfully on a piece of sausage, Sirius said, "Why didn't you tell us about any of this? We're your friends. Your best friends, James."

"I know...I know. But Lily didn't want me to tell anyone. We were going to tell you all sooner, mind you," he added quickly, "until we found out she was pregnant. She didn't want to chance it getting out."

"She's gotta face it sometime, mate," conceded Sirius. "What's she gonna do tomorrow? Robes can only hide so much, you know. And during the summer it's too hot to keep them on all day. She'll have to become a hermit to keep it a secret."

James tossed his hands up in defeat. "I don't know. Talk to her about it. I'm sure she'll figure something out."

"Does Dumbledore know?"

"Not yet."

"You might want to let him in on this," his friend advised. "He'll be able to help Lily hide it. Or at least warn the other students about teasing her."

James's eyes widened. "Don't you dare tell him to do that! She would have your head! The last thing she needs is for the entire student body to find out she's having a baby."

"They're gonna find out sooner or later...."

"Yeah, well, later rather than sooner," said James shortly. Sirius cocked his head.

"You're not embarrassed of her, are you?"

"Embarrassed?" he piped, shocked. "Of Lily? Merlin, no. I just want to respect her wishes. I mean, if you were pregnant would you want strangers and enemies knowing? If it meant constant rumors and remarks?"

"I guess not," admitted Sirius. "Look, mate...if anyone says anything, I've got her back."

James grinned. "Thanks. It means a lot. Really."

"Of course. You know I wouldn't let anyone pick on Lily."

Intruding on their warm moment came the ringing of the doorbell. James hopped from the stool and ran to the door, squinting out the peep hole to see who was outside.

Scuffing her shoes idly on the front mat was Mrs. Evans, her husband standing, hands in his jacket pockets, right beside her.

Sirius popped up beside him. "What are they doing here?" James asked, alarmed.

"Back to scold her?" he suggested. James glared at him. "Sorry. How would I know?"

The click of Mrs. Potter's shoes echoed through the foyer, growing louder with each step. "Move aside, you two," she said with a sweeping hand motion.

James stayed put. "What are they doing here?" he demanded. "Lily doesn't want to see them."

"It's just her father she's angry at," his mother reminded him. "Besides, they've got to make up sometime!" Sirius gave James an, 'I told you so' look from behind her.

"It doesn't have to be today," said James stubbornly. The doorbell rang again. Mrs. Potter pushed him aside.

"I don't have time for this, James. They're waiting. Go wake Lily," she ordered.

As the door was pulled open by Mrs. Potter and her cheerful greetings filled the room, Sirius and James rushed upstairs to warn Lily. Once they reached the second floor, however, they took their sweet time in walking to James's bedroom.

"I wonder if she'll come down," said Sirius. "You think she'll want to see her mother?"

"Not if it means seeing her father as well," replied James.

"You think the Evanses even know why they're here?" asked Sirius. "Your mum could have tricked them into coming."

"Nah, mum wouldn't do that," reckoned James. "She's very straightforward and honest. Her dad probably just felt guilty and agreed to ease his mind."

"You say that like he doesn't care about her."

"I never...." he trailed off. "Well, I...who would say that to their daughter, anyway? '_How does it feel to have your future ruined?_' Who acts like that? I know I wouldn't make a fool of _my_ daughter the way he did!"

"Well...he was a bit out of line with that remark, I'll give you that," agreed Sirius, "but everything else was just anger at having it kept from him. And shock. That's all. I think you're just miffed at the 'deadly disease' remark." Sirius grinned.

James narrowed his eyes. "I don't have any bloody STDs....Lily's the only one I ever...." He went on mumbling.

Sirius chuckled. "So that _is _why you're angry!"

"And because he hurt Lily," added James.

He laughed again. "You were always protective of her." James smiled.

They'd finally reached the door to James's room down at the end of the hallway. He knocked before entering, giving her a moment for anything she might need to finish doing, namely changing. Her soft call beckoned them inside. She hadn't moved much since he'd left her around twenty minutes ago, still tucked up beneath the blankets, looking sleepy. James sat down on the bed and leaned over her, smiling down at her flushed, freckled face. She returned the smile, and he ran his fingers gently over her belly, an act he knew would bring a giggle from her. Her laughter lit up her whole face from her curly--though now messy--red locks to the smallest freckle on her nose. He bent down and planted his lips on hers.

Leaning on the door, arms folded, Sirius watched the couple with reverent admiration. Never had he seen them show affection to each other. As far as he had known--up until last night--Lily was disgusted at the thought of sharing any sort of intimacy with James.

Smiling as he watched them kiss again, he thought, _apparently not_. He vaguely wondered how they'd gone from 'I'd rather go out with the giant squid than you, Potter!' to a pregnant Lily snogging James on his bed.

"Okay, James," chuckled Sirius, "you can stop sucking face and tell her why we're really here."

Lily unwrapped her arms from around James's neck. Her forehead crinkled in confusion. "What's going on?"

James cut his eyes at Sirius, but looked back down at her. "You have, er...visitors, love."

She scooted into a sitting position, motioning for him to move aside. Glancing back and forth between the two of them, she said, "My parents aren't here, are they?" Sirius and James exchanged worried looks.

"They are, aren't they?" She pulled her legs toward her chest, chin propped on her knees. "I'm not going down there."

"You have to, sweetheart," said James, cupping her cheek gently. "Either that or they'll come up here."

She fixed herself with a stubborn expression. "I don't want to speak to _him_."

"You don't have to. But please go down there. Mum'll be disappointed; she just wants to help you."

Lily sighed. "Why'd you have to make me feel guilty? You know I hate that."

James fluttered his eyelashes, grinning. "Please, Lil? Do it for mummy!"

She rolled her eyes and swatted his shoulder, swiveling to dangle her legs over the side of the bed. "Alright, alright. Give me a minute or two to get dressed." She hopped onto the floor and walked over to the bathroom. Before closing the door, she stuck her head out and said,

"Man, you're pushy."

* * *

Lily had a hard time deciding what to wear. She didn't want to wear anything that showed off her growing belly too much, because that would just be spiting _him_--although the idea wasn't so unappealing--and embarrassing herself; she wasn't too open to parading her pregnancy--even though everyone present was well aware--about.

After rummaging through several pairs of the clothes Mrs. Potter had lent her, Lily decided on a baggy 'Busch Gardens' T-shirt and a pair of faded jeans. She left her hair down, the way she liked it best, to pool around her shoulders.

Taking something between a deep breath and a sigh, she pushed the bathroom door open and walked through James's empty bedroom, into the hallway, and down the winding staircase.

"Lily! There you are!" cried her mother, rising from the couch to embrace her. Over her mother's shoulder Lily could see her father seated at the couch, hunched over, sipping at his tea, saucer in his spare hand, and James and Sirius sharing a smaller couch beside the armchair, where Mrs. Potter had again made herself comfortable.

Her mother pulled back, hands on her shoulders, to observe her. Smiling, she tucked a stray bit of Lily's hair behind her ear and ran her thumb over her cheek. Lily couldn't help but return her smile.

"Come, sit down," said Mrs. Potter, setting her cup and saucer aside on a small table. She straightened in her seat. "We have a lot to discuss."

Insides squirming uncomfortably, Lily maneuvered around the coffee table and took a seat between James and Sirius on the small couch. Almost instantly, James's fingers intertwined with hers. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze of acknowledgment.

"Lily," said Mrs. Potter, directing her gaze in her general direction, "I've asked your parents here to talk with you about your pregnancy. If you're willing to."

Lily said nothing. She only wanted to talk with James. Focusing on anything but her father, she tucked her free hand in her lap, cradling the base of her belly.

"Lily?" asked her mother uncertainly. She looked over at her mother, who looked close to tears. Lily considered that her mother had tried to help her, had tried to stop her father from making such a scene. _She_ hadn't said any of those things. Clearing her throat, she said,

"I'll speak to my mother about it."

* * *

Lily and her mother excused themselves to the downstairs study to speak. Both Mrs. Potter and Mrs. Evans had tried to convince her to let her father come along, but they soon saw that she wasn't going to give in.

So Mr. Evans remained in his position on the couch, sipping resignedly at his tea, obviously hurt by his daughter's decision. Not that _he_ didn't hurt _her_.

In the study, Lily made herself comfortable on top of the large wooden desk in the corner, beside the L-shaped bookcase. Her mother took no seat, preferring to lean against the wall. Lily picked up a ruler to keep her hands busy.

"Your father wanted to apologize to you, you know," said Mrs. Evans.

Lily slapped the ruler into her palm a few times before answering. "I don't want it," she decided. "If he's going to act that way, fine. I don't have to take it. He only offered to apologize to make you happy, I bet."

Mrs. Evans teetered guiltily on her feet. Lily cocked an eyebrow at her action, as if to ask, 'I'm right, aren't I?'

Her mother sighed. "Lily, please don't cut him out like I did to my father. He's...he's gone now. We never made up. I don't want that to happen to you and Cynric."

Lily set the ruler aside and pushed herself from the desktop. "What did he say to you, exactly?"

"About the same things your father did."

"Did he make a scene in public?" asked Lily, hoping so. Even though she wasn't particularly angry with her mother, she wanted to bring someone down with her.

"If you call a few family friends and your uncle public," she replied. Looking sad, she added, "He was _furious_. He broke my mum's favorite tea set smashing his fist into the china cabinet; had to get it stitched that night. Called your father and me dreadful names, as well."

"Like what?" inquired Lily, half smiling at the image of her grandfather punching out the china cabinet.

Her mother narrowed her eyes in mock annoyance. They both smiled. "Oh, I dunno. I think the phrase he used was 'easy, street corner slut'."

Lily's eyebrows shot up. "No wonder you never made up."

Her mother pocketed her hands. "Yeah. I let him come see you and Petunia, though. I didn't want our fight to affect you. I suppose it wasn't really the baby he was angry at. Children grow up too fast and parents aren't ready for it when it happens."

"I didn't mean for a baby to signal my growing up," muttered Lily. "James and I didn't plan this, you know. Honest." Her eyes beseeched her mother to believe her.

Mrs. Evans's expression softened. "I know you didn't. I don't think any young couples do." She paused, giving the appearance that she was deciding whether to say something or not. "Why didn't you tell me about James? Or the baby?" Her mother sounded hurt, as if she were feeling left out.

Lily leaned back against the desk, eyes drifting to the green carpet. She shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I didn't feel comfortable talking about him with you." Looking over at her mother, she could tell that she wasn't helping. "Or anyone," she amended.

"I'd guess not, if he's sharing your bed," quipped her mother.

"_Mum_!" cried Lily, half laughing, half shocked.

A grin crept across her mother's face. "I'm only teasing."

"That didn't happen for a while!" she assured her, red in the face. "It took a few months."

"I suppose you knew each other well enough?"

"Yeah," said Lily. "I've been in his classes since first year. We talked--mainly competing in our subjects--all the time."

"Isn't James the one you fought with a lot?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Only when he picked on other students," explained Lily. "But he's stopped that completely now. He's changed so much during the past six months."

Her mother smiled, looking warm. "A baby can do that to a man."

"He's so much more thoughtful," continued Lily, smiling slightly, "He's always offering to help me, always holding me, kissing me....I love it."

"He wants to make sure you're happy."

"I am." Lily smiled, contented. "At first I hated the idea of having a baby. I was so scared and even a bit depressed. But James helped me a lot; he's so comforting. And after doing a bit of research, reading the odd pregnancy book here and there, having a baby doesn't seem so scary. I've always liked kids. It won't be so bad at all."

"Is he excited too?"

"Very. You know..." Lily went on after a short pause, "he asked me to marry him."

Her mother inhaled sharply, eyes widening a tad. Lily beckoned her over, pulling a thin, golden chain out from underneath her shirt. On the chain was a platinum diamond ring. The design was simple enough, the traditional circular shape of course, with what looked like two arms extending upward, joined by a triangular diamond. If one viewed it from the side, it looked like a small, round person making an offering.

Mrs. Evans whistled, impressed. "That boy must really love you. Either that or he's loaded."

Lily gestured around the room. "He has a study, mother! How many normal homes have a study? Look at this place; it's practically a library! Of course he has a lot of money."

"Wonder how he managed this without his parents finding out....Must have had some money saved up."

"I guess so."

"So are you going to accept?" questioned Mrs. Evans tentatively. "You _do_ love him, don't you?"

Lily's hand flew to her stomach. "Does it look like I love him? Honestly, mum, I wouldn't _be_ pregnant if I didn't love him. Of course I said yes."

"Why don't you wear it on your finger, then?" she asked. "You'll get fewer nasty looks in public. More people are going to start noticing, you know."

Lily sighed, looking both worried and saddened. "I know," she said darkly, "That's why, for the first time ever, I don't want to go back to school tomorrow."

"Dumbledore won't let them bother you, honey," said her mother, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Just tell him to mention it to everyone before you arrive. In fact, _I'll_ tell him if you'd like."

Her eyes widened in fear. "No! Don't say _anything_! Let them notice on their own!"

Her mother shrugged. "Just trying to help."

"Making sure the whole school knows is _not_ helping," snapped Lily. "He can't stop them from making snide comments."

Her mother nodded. "You're right. And they will, Lily. You've got to be prepared for that. But you can't let them get to you. You're better than any of those nasty...what's that house name, again?"

"Slytherin."

"Right. Any of those nasty Slytherin boys you always talk about who're rude to you. You complete your assignments, your Prefect--and now Head Girl--duties, get top marks, and now you'll have a baby. If you can juggle all of that and they still look down on you, it's they who are pathetic, not you."

Grateful to have her mother on her side, she engulfed her in a hug.

O O O

Yay! Long chapter! Ricky'll be pleased. I hope the rest of you were pleased with this chapter as well!

A big, enormous thank you to my reviewers!

Fanfiction. net doesn't seem to want to let me view my reviews, so I'll come back later and respond to you individually, I promise!

If anyone's interested in seeing the ring Lily's is based on, here's the picture I used: (The link might not show on HTML

Megan


	3. Baneful Bargain

**Author's Note:** I am so excited for this chapter! ZOMGPLOT!

**Dedications: **Here they are, yet again.

My notebook: It holds the secrets of my plot Ricky so desperately wants to know.

**Disclaimer:** Finally! One of these!

None of the subtle Snicket references are mine, unfortunately.

**Chapter 3: **Baneful Bargain

(August 31. 7:01 p.m. Hogsmeade.)

The sight of a familiar owl soaring from the direction of the mountains made Lucius Malfoy give his pocket a tap to ensure the safety of its contents and hurry, weaving his way in and out of the crowd of residents and tourists, toward the tall gates of the small village's housing section. The jet black owl called Raven--because Bella was such a voracious Poe fan--met him there, perching upon the rim of the gate above his head. Raven and Lucius had never quite been on good terms with each other, and the bird displayed its dislike of him by dropping the roll of parchment rudely atop his head and swooping down to nip his ear before disappearing into the sunset.

"Evil creature," Lucius muttered, yanking at the thin ribbon that held the scroll together. It unraveled gracefully. He ducked behind a row of rosebushes to read it in secret. The letter was addressed "Pickles," the code name used for him because of his eye color; hazel with prevalent green. He read on:

We've got an extra egg. The man we met up with needed to get rid of it, so we took it off his hands. Regulus came by a second H.B., so you're free to do what you want with yours. Master'll be pleased.

Lucius pocketed the letter with a grin. He'd make a bit of extra dough off of his Hebridean Black egg. Voldemort had assigned each of his Death Eaters a country housing a breed of dragon egg to retrieve. He couldn't imagine why one of his Master's cohorts would be frightened of any authority coming after him for the violation of the statute; the Death Eaters _were_ that authority. They decided, for the most part, what went on in the Wizarding World. _They_ were the ones who came after you.

He kept his hand in the egg's pocket as he strolled contentedly up the main street. The street gave the impression of a scene from a Christmas card. It was lit by streetlights, shop lights, and strings of lights woven around poles, rails, and awnings; large, decorative trees popped up here and there along the side walks, and even though it was the middle of the summer, some of the shop owners had charmed large piles of sleet around the shop doors and down the sidewalks to amuse the children and keep the passersby cool as they walked.

A bell tinkled over head as he pushed the door to the Hog's Head open. As usual, very few people were seated inside the dirty pub; most preferred the cheerful cleanliness of the Three Broomsticks. Eager for amusement, he walked over to a large, cloaked man at a small table who was idly shuffling a pack of cards.

"'Evening," he said conversationally, pulling the chair back. "Mind if I join you?"

The man looked startled to have company; his sausage-like fingers trembled. "N-no. Don' mind at all." Lucius took his seat, watching the man gather up his stream of cards.

Trembling still, he dealt them out, five each. They were playing poker. Lucius picked up his hand, glanced it over, and exchanged two cards.

"What brings you to this part of Hogsmeade?" asked Lucius, leaning back in his chair. His hood slipped slightly and he hurried to fix it. "Come here often?"

The man nudged his mug. "On'y for a cuppa Firewhiskey now an' then," he replied.

Lucius let the four legs of the chair hit the ground again. "Only for Firewhiskey? No trade? Business?"

"No. Don' know how ter contact any o' them folk even if I wanted ter," he said, wanting to change the subject.

"Do you?" he inquired. If the conversation went well enough, he'd sell the egg and have time enough to do a bit of shopping afterward.

The man glanced around the pub, then over both of his shoulders. He leaned closer to Malfoy and spoke in a whisper. "Why? Yeh know any who trade...beasts?"

With a grin, Lucius placed his cards face down on the table. "As a matter of fact, I do."

"What're yeh saying?" He pocketed his cards. He sounded interested.

Lucius took care to lower his voice. "I've got a bit of..._stock_...I'm willing to sell."

If the man was not wearing a mask, Lucius would have seen his arched eyebrows. "What kind o' stock?"

He patted his pocket. "An egg. A dragon's egg."

The man's eyes grew wide. "Where'd yeh come by...ah, tha's not important....How much're yeh chargin'?"

"What have you got?" he asked, smiling inwardly at the bargaining skills his father had once taught him. It had been, after all, the way he'd acquired his vast riches, and Lucius hoped to do the same.

The man dug through the many pockets of his cloak, upturning a ring of rusty keys in the process. Lucius blinked. Hagrid? The school's gamekeeper? He thought he'd recognized that accent. And he was too large to be anyone else. Well, he decided with a smirk, here's my chance to over charge the bastard brute and get him back for setting that stupid dog of his on him back in first year.

Hagrid dumped a fistful of change onto the table with a rattle that stung his ears. He grouped the coins into three piles. When he finished, he said, "Seventeen galleons, ten sickles, and twenty-eight knuts."

The younger man frowned. "Is that all?"

"I can get more," he said quickly, fearing he was losing his interest. "I jus' need time."

Lucius placed both hands on the table in front of him in a very business-like manner. "Alright. I'm giving you exactly two months to get me one hundred more galleons."--Hagrid's eyes shot open, but he said nothing--"You'll bring them back here to me."

Hagrid nodded vigorously. "Do I get it tonight?"

Lucius glanced about, searching for a way to pass the egg unnoticed. His eyes rested on the frosty mug of Firewhiskey beside Hagrid's monstrous wrist. In the blink of an eye, he swept his hand of cards up from the table and stood up, allowing the chair to fall backwards and rattle on the brick floor. He tossed the cards at Hagrid, who looked somewhat alarmed. Several people at neighboring tables paused to stare.

"You dirty cheat!" Lucius shouted. He smacked the mug to the floor, soaking the hem of his robes with the fiery liquid.

"OY!" yelled the bartender. "You pick that mug up and get the hell outta my pub!"

Lucius knelt down beneath the table, grinning at his success. With amazing speed, he dropped the grapefruit-sized coal-black egg into the hollow of the mug and set it on the table. He blinked his right eye ever so slightly at Hagrid and scooped the coins into a small sack.

"Sorry about the disturbance," he said loudly, addressing everyone present. In lower tones, he added to Hagrid, "I'll see you on October thirtieth."

* * *

"Lily, would you stop fidgeting?" snapped James, grabbing her arms and forcing them into her lap. "Here, have a Chocolate Frog"--he held one out toward her--"you'll feel better." 

She waved it away. "No. I don't think I could keep it down. The bumping of the train is making me sick."

"I'll take that," Sirius said, stretching his arm across the cramped train car. Rolling his eyes, James gave it to him.

It didn't seem so bumpy to either of them in there. James was perfectly fine sitting on the cushioned bench, glancing out the window every now an then at the rushing scenery, and Sirius had stretched himself out on his bench and was flipping through an outdated edition of the _Quibbler_. Remus and Peter weren't with them in the car because Remus had been rushed to Hogwarts to prepare for the full moon and Peter lived in Hogsmeade; he took a carriage to school.

James glanced over at Lily as she rubbed her temples. "Still got your headache?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said glumly. "I've had it for days now." He put his arm around her shoulders and drew her close. He kissed the top of her head.

"You'll feel better soon. Madam Pomfrey will be able to help you once we get to school."

"I...I don't know if I want to tell her, either," said Lily, turning to look him in the eyes. "What if she tells Dumbledore?"

"You don't trust him anymore?" asked James.

Lily narrowed her eyes. "I never said that. I'd just prefer to keep it a secret."

"Lily," he said, "You know that if you asked, he wouldn't tell a soul."

"I know, I know."

"So you're going to ask her for help? She _is_ the school nurse; I'm sure she'd be able to help you with your headaches," said James, and it was obvious that he wasn't going to give up.

"I don't have much of a choice anymore, do I?" She smiled.

"Nope." He grinned in return. "You'll go to the hospital wing if I have to carry you myself, young lady."

She smiled wider. "I'd like to see you try."

Sirius groaned, slapping the magazine against his arched knees. "Would you two stop with the cheerful conversation? It's not a ride to Hogwarts without you tearing each others' heads off. And get your arm off of her; you've been naughty enough, mister."

James laughed and Lily stuck her tongue out at him. "You just read, Sirius," she said.

"Should I shield my eyes?" he asked, holding the magazine up near his nose. "I don't want to witness you two trying for twins."

With more agility than James thought she had, Lily stood up, snatched the magazine away, and smacked Sirius over the head with it. At the pink tinge on her cheeks, Sirius laughed.

"Is widdle Wiwy embawassed?" Sirius cooed, giving her belly a pat. She kicked his shin.

"Ow!" he griped, holding the spot. "James, can't you control your girlfriend?"

James grinned. "She was provoked."

Lily swatted him playfully. "You make me sound like some zoo animal," she tittered.

"Probably sounded enough like one when you--" Lily's hand came in contact with his head before he could finish his sentence.

"That's _enough_, Sirius," she warned him.

He rubbed his head and grinned. "This is the kind of trip I'm talking about!"

* * *

Severus Snape wandered the long hall of the train, glancing from side to side, making sure no one was doing anything outlandishly sinful in their cars. He joined his hands behind his back, trying to look severe. He hated Prefect duties, most of all the one that required him to pace the train, when he could be up to much better things. 

Studying, for one. He was sure the teachers would spring some sort of quiz the moment they got back to school. Might as well be prepared.

When he reached the back of the train, he sighed, relieved. It was over. He could sit down now. But out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the last car door had been left ajar. He peeked inside, mouth dropping at what he saw.

Sirius was innocent enough, sprawled on his side of the compartment, sleeping, magazine steepled on top of his face. The edges of the pages rose and fell with his breathing.

Lily and James, too, were asleep, looking squished because they shared a bench. James was turned on his side against the wall to give her more space, but she lay flat on her back, hand on her belly.

Her belly. That's what the shock had been.

There was a lump there that hadn't been two months ago.

* * *

"So far, so good," said Lily to James, almost cheerfully, on their way through the front doors of the massive castle. 

With the large crowd engulfing her, no one gave Lily a second glance. At least that was what she thought until Sirius nudged her.

"You might want to button up your robes," he muttered, glancing over his shoulder, "Malfoy's giving you weird looks."

Lily flushed and buttoned the middle three buttons. She really wasn't all _that_ noticeable--at least she thought--,but the Slytherin boys were generally very harsh and cruel, and both she and her companions knew that if word of her pregnancy were to get out, Malfoy and his band of cronies would be the first to make comments.

It wasn't until James put his arm around her waist that she noticed it wasn't just Malfoy giving her odd stares. With everything that had happened during the summer, Lily had almost forgotten that none of the school knew she and James had finally reconciled. Some of them had noticed that James bore no more physical marks of fights with Lily, which were common after he worked her up into a duel, but weren't bold enough to act upon their wonderings of whether they had stopped brawling--whether physically or verbally--completely.

As she and her peers poured into the Great Hall, Lily heard whisperings of:

"James and Lily....How odd...."

"You think it's a joke?" one particularly snooty girl--whom Lily disliked--asked her friend. "Potter would never date _her_. And it looks like she's gaining weight!"

"Potter's sure got his hands full...."

"I would kill to be Potter...."

Needless to say, Lily was very relieved when the crowd thinned and they found the Gryffindor house table. Easily picking out small, round Peter at the end of the table, Sirius shoved his way over and sat down across from him, followed by James and Lily, whom James was trying to make sure didn't get trampled.

"Lily!" came a familiar male voice. She and James turned around to see Daud Vaswani, an Indian Gryffindor boy who was a good friend of Lily's. She smiled at him in welcome.

"Hello, Daud," she said as she and James took adjacent seats beside Sirius. Daud sat down in the empty seat next to Lily, and she couldn't help the rush of pink in her cheeks when his eyes drifted down to her middle.

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "You bulking up?" He had always been blunt. Lily slit her eyes at him.

"_No_," she replied indignantly, "I've just..."--she tried quickly to think up a lie--"taken a job at an ice cream parlor. The workers get it free, and--"

"_Lily_," he said pointedly, "I _know_ you didn't take a job at an ice cream parlor. You're lactose intolerant; who're you trying to kid?"

She felt like kicking herself because of her lie; James snickered behind his hand, allowing the other boy to speak to her so bluntly only because he knew that Lily would take no offense, and Daud looked mildly amused, but persistent.

She fiddled with her ring--which she had finally taken off of its chain and put on her finger--debating whether or not to tell Daud about her baby. She sighed. "Alright, here's what's--"

The enormous golden doors of the Great Hall creaked open and everyone seated fell silent. Strolling toward the High Table in a stately manner, Professor McGonagall--a new teacher--led a line of tiny children between the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables. They formed a shivering, nervous cluster while McGonagall pulled out a stool and battered wizards' hat from a small closet behind the High Table. Once in place, the hat sprung to life--some of the children gasped--and began to sing its yearly song. Lily hardly heard any of it over Sirius and Peter's chatter.

"They're even smaller than last year," commented Sirius, grinning. Lily shushed him as the hat's song drew to a finish.

"When I call your name," said Professor McGonagall to the first years-to-be, "you're going to come sit on the stool and put on the Sorting Hat." She shook the lengthy scroll, unraveling it, and cleared her throat. "Abod, Carine."

A shivering dark girl in pigtails walked up to the stool and slid onto it, shoving the hat on her head so it covered her eyes. "RAVENCLAW!" With a relieved grin, she hopped off and joined the table to the group's right.

"Brown, Megan!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Eberling, Patty!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Fredrickson, Todd!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

I think now would be a good time to mention something a wise Snow Scout leader once said: "When Snow Scouts tell stories, they skip everything boring and only tell the interesting parts." And I think I will take a page out of his book--a phrase which here means "Do as he suggested and skip the rest of the Sorting Hat ceremony"--and skip the rest of the Sorting Hat ceremony.

No one was more relieved than Sirius when McGonagall called the last child's name--"Snicket, Kit!" "_Gryffindor_!"--and the stool was taken off of the platform and replaced with Albus Dumbledore.

"I think I'll skip the lengthy welcoming speech for now," he said, a twinkle in his eye, "Wouldn't you agree, Mr. Black?" A swift, cloth-like swish flooded through the Great Hall as hundreds of heads turned Sirius's way.

Sirius grinned. "I'd say so, Professor!" The room filled with laughter.

Dumbledore smiled. "Tuck in."

There were gasps all throughout the Great Hall from the first years when the food appeared before them. Sirius, James, and Peter wasted no time in piling their plates with goodies, and Daud began to resume his and Lily's conversation as the two of them dug in.

"Okay," he said, "now you can finish. Tell me what's going on. You're never this negligent about your health."

Again, Lily frowned, feeling rather offended. "It's not"--she paused in mid sentence--"_entirely_ my fault that I've gotten..._bigger_."

His eyebrows shot up; the chicken leg fell to the rim of his plate, rocking it dangerously. "C-come again?" The light caught the diamond on her ring, bringing it to his attention for the first time. He was beginning to form a connection.

I'm sorry to say that as Daud was slowly piecing together the two clues while Lily blushed and tried--with much stammering--to explain to him the situation, another connection was being formed. That connection happens to be called "Lucius Malfoy's wand with his hand." As he was in a very good mood from his recent sale with Hagrid, he took much pleasure in saying the next two words of dialogue you will see, two words that conjure a symbol most girls--as well as their respective boyfriends--dread.

"_Experientia Graviditas_."

The jet of white light soared inconspicuously through the air, over many heads and plates, and hit Lily--without her knowledge--square in the belly. She didn't notice of course, as the spell was not meant to cause physical harm, and sprouting slowly, from about an inch above her head, was a white line growing taller and taller until it reached a height of about seven inches. Two leaves erupted from the middle and a bud stuck to the upper end of what was now obviously a stem. The bud pulsed, as if deciding whether or not it wanted to open, and then erupted in a shower of white sparks into a beautiful lily.

The sparks gave it away. Heads turned from all directions to gaze at the flower above Lily's head, and the ones that didn't right away were tapped on the shoulders by their friends. The hall had grown silent again, as if another group of frightened first years were coming down the aisle toward the Sorting Hat.

James and Sirius said nothing. Peter was in shock, along with most of the school and the staff. Daud did, however, because Lily'd been turning her head every which way, trying to find the source of the disturbance, not realizing yet what had happened to her.

"Your head," he hissed. "Look up."

Fearing for the worst, she gazed heavenward, eyes widening when they came to rest on the flower.

She'd had every right to be frightened. Everyone in the hall--except perhaps some of the first years--knew what that symbol meant. They had wizard parents, they read books, they'd been through Professor Flitwick's "Sex-Ed" class just like everyone else.

The white lily was a form of wizard pregnancy test. If it didn't bloom, if it withered and disintegrated, you were fine. But if it bloomed...you were pregnant.

And now everyone in school knew Lily's and James's secret.

O O O

Finally! Finished with chapter 3! -wipes sweat from brow- About the sorting--I just had to! Too good of an opportunity to pass up! I am SUCH a Gryffindor.

And do I have a long "thank the reviewer" section ahead of me, or what!

Chapter one:

pink0614: Thank you!

lily hostetler: I'm glad! Hope you keep reading.

poorpadfoot: Yay!

Moony Lover: I tried emailing you, but I don't know if any of them got through. You didn't leave me anything after the at sign, so I tried MSN, Yahoo, and AOL.

Oxynthes: This is a couple of years before Harry is born, so they've got plenty of time. And this story only goes in depth--or even covers, really--their first encounter with Voldemort, not the other two. Thank you for your kind words!

DramaQn621: Thank you! I tried to make it sooner!

Sesshieluver89: It's MeggIE. Hehe. Oi, don't you listen to Holly. She needs to keep her mouth shut about that! But it's all Mrs. McMasters's fault, really. Hah, my mind, fortunately, is not like hers. She's the bisexual one! (Not REALLY....) Glad you like it, Rachel!

Kristanna: Nope. Didn't graduate already. But I daresay you've figured out the situation by now, ne?

Sierra Charm: Oh, you're not an uptight prude, Si. If Lily is so much based upon you in your fic, as you say, then you're not too bad. You're just very skeptical about teenaged relationships--as am I in most cases, excluding that of my own--and against any sort of pre-marital sex, as am I. I'm very glad you liked it. I hoped you would, because you were the one who introduced me, indirectly, to the wonderful world of L/J fanfiction, and I rather looked up to you way back in the day, and still admire your writing...muchly. I will most surely keep writing, as you should as well, and I hope you have a happy new year!

ms dumplings: Thank you, I will!

weird and wonderful: Thank you!

XxSacredDreamsxX: Yeah, yeah. You and your Seamus and Lavender stories. Glad you liked it, though, Nat!

FallenFlower: Thank you!

Jazzyln's-Mama: Wow. Never been called "amazing" before. Thank you!

apotterlover: Glad you liked it!

lovingHP: Glad you liked it!

ArtemisiaQuill: I tried! It was indeed ASAP. Thanks for the fav!

cilverblood: Ah, it's only your favorite because there's no John. AND NO I WILL NOT KILL HIM! HE IS MY DARLING! I think the best way to make you happy would be to write a complete story of Lily/James lemon. You'd grin ear to ear then. I still cannot BELIEVE how MEAN you are to poor John! I wuv him.

I gave you sneak peeks, you naughty girl, you. So you can no longer blame me for your jiggly thighs. You can save the slobbery kisses, thanks. Hope you liked the chapter, you pushy little thing.

RICKY! RICKY, RICKY, RICKY! HA! Take that!

Chapter two:

ArtemisiaQuill: Thanks! Glad you liked it!

cilverblood: Ricky signed in this time! Twelve times? _Twelve_? You've sure got a lot of time on your hands, mi amiga! You only love me because you want me to update! -feels used- xD

Jazzlyn's-Mama: Interesting form of reviewing. Hehe.

DramaQn621: Thank you!

Piper Of Locksley: You get weirder with each story of mine, you know that? You know what else? Calling it crap defeats the whole point of saying you love it!

Sami Potter: Don't shiver, Sam! You'll love this baby! You cannot resist one, so I shall only have to wait until you change your mind. Glad you like the fluff!

FallenFlower: Thank you!

Sesshieluver89: -blush- Thanks, Rachel. I try with my book, but I need a bit of a break from it. It's a work in progress as of now.

Whew! Finally! Now I can read!

Night all!

Megan


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